Electoral System (National Assembly)

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for reforming the electoral system for the National Assembly for Wales.

Peter Hain: The Government proposals to address problems with the current electoral system are set out in chapter 4 of the "Better Governance for Wales" White Paper, which was published on 15 June 2005.

Electoral System (National Assembly)

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals to reform the system of election of members of the National Assembly for Wales Government.

Peter Hain: The Government's proposals to address problems with the current electoral system are set out in Chapter 4 of the "Better Governance for Wales" White Paper, which was published on 15 June 2005.

Electoral System (National Assembly)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales on future voting arrangements for elections; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I have regular discussions with colleagues in the National Assembly for Wales.
	The Government's proposals to address the electoral system are set out in Chapter 4 of "Better Governance for Wales", White Paper which was published on 15 June 2005.

Devolution

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who he has consulted on the future of devolution for Wales in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Following the launch of the Government's White Paper "Better Governance for Wales" on June 15, there was a comment period, which finished on September 16. Eighty-two responses were received, and they can be found on the Wales Office website.

Departmental Staff

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what training in (a) literacy and (b) numeracy is offered to employees of his Department.

David Cairns: All the staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA); the Office does not employ staff directly.
	The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of continuous support to staff, through training, to improve their skills and marketable qualifications and offers a range of training courses to do this. The need for training and improving skills more generally is identified as part of the staff reporting system within the Executive.
	In the DCA, testing for literacy and numeracy is available for all staff on demand through their "Skills for Life" initiative. Staff can undertake written or computerised tests. The Department has undertaken to fund any training identified to improve individual literacy and/or numeracy levels resulting from the tests and has worked with local colleges and Union Learning representatives to address those needs.

Bovine TB

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Department has made of whether badgers act as a reservoir for tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: The report of the review group chaired by Sir John Krebs, published in 1998, concluded "there is strong evidence for an association between TB in badgers and cattle".
	The Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) was designed to gather evidence by testing the impact of two badger-culling strategies (proactive and reactive culling) on the incidence of bovine TB in cattle herds. The reactive element of the trial was suspended in November 2003 after interim analysis of data showed that reactive culling might lead to an increase in the incidence of cattle TB in reactive areas when compared to control (survey only) areas. However, the trial continues in proactive (and survey only) treatment areas.
	The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISO), which oversees the trial, has undertaken to bring any significant results from the proactive element of the trial to Ministers' attention.

Farm Waste

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she has given to farmers about the disposal of waste from farms; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We sent a summary of the consultation paper on the draft "Agricultural Waste Regulations" to 162,000 farmers and growers in England and Wales. The summary advised farmers of the five basic options available to them for the disposal of their waste when the regulations come into force.
	We intend to issue guidance to accompany the final regulations. The Environment Agency is also developing practical guidance on a range of issues on which farmers and growers may seek advice when the regulations come into force (eg the storage of waste and farm dumps). This guidance is being developed in consultation with the Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum. The agency and members of the forum organised a farmer focus meeting on 8 September 2005 at Holme Lacy College to gauge the level of farmers' understanding of the forthcoming waste management controls, to help shape the guidance being developed and to ensure its effectiveness.

Recycling (Plastics)

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government are taking (a) to promote and (b) to facilitate the recycling of plastic household products made from (i) single polymers and (ii) mixed polymers.

Ben Bradshaw: Through the waste and resources action programme (WRAP), the Government are spending £20 million with local authorities to raise awareness of recycling in their own communities, and £10 million on a national "recycle now" campaign. Information about plastic recycling can be found on the campaign website www.recyclenow.com
	WRAP have developed a number of programs to promote plastic bottle recycling from households and have identified end markets for mixed "dirty" plastic waste which will help to drive increased recycling.
	The management of plastic packaging waste is already addressed in the UK through the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended). These regulations require packaging producers to recycle 22.5 percent. of all plastic packaging entering the UK waste stream by 31 December 2008. Last year the UK recycled 19 percent. up from 7 percent. in 1997.
	I understand that RECOUP (recycling of used plastic) and the BPF (British Plastic Federation) have recently been promoting and facilitating the collection and recycling of single polymers including plastic bottles and expanded polystyrene from the household waste stream. The industry is currently examining possible applications for mixed polymers, which may include concrete type products.
	The Government are in the process of implementing the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive, which will require the treatment and recycling to target levels of all separately collected WEEE, including small, plastic-rich equipment.

Water Desalination Plants

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water desalination plants are (a) in operation, (b) under construction and (c) planned, broken down by location; and what company is involved in each case.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 31 October 2005
	Water companies' proposals for resource developments, including proposed desalination plants, in fulfilment of their duties to maintain adequate supplies of water are set out in the 25 year water resources plans they prepared in 2004. The Environment Agency has advised Ministers about the appropriateness of these proposals and other measures to ensure security of supply, in its report "Maintaining water supply", which was published in July 2004.
	No water company yet has a desalination plant in operation though South East Water has one under construction at Newhaven and is testing a pilot plant at this site.
	Thames Water is presently seeking planning permission for a major desalination plant at Beckton in the Thames estuary. Thames Water's water resources plan identifies a second plant in the 2020s. Folkestone and Dover Water and Southern Water also propose the development of desalination plants in the 2020s. The location of these proposed plants will be a matter for the companies concerned to determine.

Employment Figures

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women aged over 65 years (i) started a job with a new employer, (ii) were employees and (iii) were employed in 2004.

John Healey: The Information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Vera Baird, dated 2 November2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of people over 65 years of age who have changed jobs in 2004. (23686)
	The attached table provides the available information showing the number of people aged 65 and over, who are employees, were in employment 12 months ago and who had changed jobs one or more times within the last 12 months.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		People aged 65 and over who changed job in the last 12 months—United Kingdom
		
			 Thousand 
			 Three months ending May 2005 Total Male Female 
		
		
			 All employees aged 65 and over 362 192 170 
			 of which:
			 In employment(6)12 months ago 325 177 148 
			 of which:
			 Changed jobs in past year(7)(8) 8 7 1 
		
	
	(6) Includes both employees and the self employed.
	(7) Includes people who changed jobs more than once in past year.
	(8) Only includes people who had a change of employer.
	Source:
	ONS—Labour Force Survey

Armed Forces Deployment

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of (a) the British armed forces and (b) British armed forces who have served in Iraq are (i) Irish and (ii) foreign nationals.

Don Touhig: The percentage of UK armed forces who are Irish or Foreign nationals is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 Service Irish Foreign 
		
		
			 Naval Service 0.2 1.1 
			 Army 0.2 5.8 
			 Royal Air Force 0.1 0.3 
		
	
	Naval Service figures are for UK Regular Forces including Nursing Services, Full Time Reserve Service and activated reservists. Army and RAF data are for UK Regular Forces (trained and untrained), including Nursing Services and excluding Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists.
	Information on the nationality of all the service personnel who have ever served in Iraq is not held centrally.

Departmental Consultation

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list formal consultations being sponsored by his Department and its agencies; and what the (a) commencement date and (b) deadline for responses is in each case.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking one formal consultation the title of which is the "Met Office Proposal for Changes to its Civil Centre Network". It is being carried out by the Met Office, which is a Trading Fund of the Ministry of Defence.
	The consultation period began on 5 July 2005 and the original deadline for responses was 20 October 2005. However, as a result of the comments received during the consultation period, and based on further analysis and research undertaken by the Met Office with its commercial customers (particularly in respect of potential impact on revenue), I have agreed that the Met Office should further develop an additional option. As a result, a consultation document ("Met Office Proposals for changes to its civil centre network—Consideration of further option") with further details of this new proposed option was issued on 24 October and the consultation period has been extended until 15 November to allow comments on it.
	Copies of both consultation documents are available on the Met Office website at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2005/consultation.pdf and http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2005/CivilCentreConsultationNewOption251005.pdf respectively.

Cricket

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to support local amateur cricket clubs.

Richard Caborn: The Government, through Sport England, makes Grant Awards to the English Cricket Board (ECB) to support their delivery of both the professional and amateur game in England and Wales. A key part of the ECB's strategy for the next four years, as laid out in their plan "Building Partnerships—cricket's strategic plan" focuses on increasing participation especially among young people and from 2006 they will be investing £10.6 million to help achieve this including supporting more cricket facilities at local clubs.
	Sport England also makes awards to the ECB under the Community Club Development Program (CCDP) under which £9.4 million has been earmarked for cricket. In the first year of the CCDP programme, more than 100 local clubs have been supported.
	The Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme, launched in 2002, has also been of significant financial value to amateur cricket clubs. In October 2005, cricket clubs made up the largest sporting sector registered under the scheme—over 600 of the 3,300 clubs with CASC status. CASC has been worth £7.5 million to sports clubs in total; so, an estimated £1.5 million has been put back into grassroots cricket through tax reliefs.

Congo

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent violence in the Walungu territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian Pearson: Areas of instability remain in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In Ituri and the Kivus, the security situation remains fragile, with civilians continuing to suffer abuses by armed groups.
	We were appalled by the recent atrocities against civilians in South Kivu, including those committed near Walungu, which have been attributed to hard-line elements of the Rwandan Hutu rebel group, the Forces Democratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR).
	We support the UN peacekeeping mission's robust approach to protecting civilians and tackling armed groups in Ituri, which they are beginning to replicate in the Kivus. Despite these efforts to disrupt the activities of the FDLR, the FDLR continues to persecute civilians. We have urged regional governments to work together to disarm these groups.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in his Department (a) were relocated in 2004–05 and (b) are expected to be relocated in 2005–06 following the Lyons review; where they have been relocated; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: 31 posts were relocated from London in 2004–05. 11 were to Hanslope Park and 20 functions redistributed to overseas posts.
	In 2005–06 we expect to relocate 30 human resources posts from London to Hanslope Park. Over 85 per cent. of the jobs will be filled locally.

EU Committees

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the UK members of the (a) European Economic and Social Committee, (b) Committee of the Regions and (c) European Social Fund Committee since May 1997; and for what reason each was nominated.

Douglas Alexander: I have made lists of the UK members of these committees available in the Library of the House. In the case of the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, the lists cover the period since 1997, but for the European Social Fund Committee only a list of current members is readily available. I will make a list of previous members of that Committee available in the Library as soon as possible. The civil servants who are members of the European Social Fund Committee are not listed, in accordance with established practice.
	UK members of the employers' and trade unions' groups of the Economic and Social Committee (EESC) are nominated by the Department of Trade and Industry, and members of the "other interests" (wider civil society) group are nominated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, following consultation by both Departments with relevant civil society groups. In accordance with the EESC's purpose, candidates are chosen for their ability to represent the interests of UK civil society in the European Union.
	UK members of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) are nominated after consultation with local authorities, and with the devolved Administrations. In accordance with the CoR's purpose, they are chosen for their ability to represent the interests of the UK's regions in the European Union. Like all CoR members, they must hold an elected mandate at local or regional level.
	My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister approve the overall composition of the UK delegations to both committees, and take into account the candidates' level of expertise in their respective fields, as well as the UK delegations' overall balance, particularly with regard to their regional, political, ethnic and gender composition.
	UK members of the European Social Fund Committee are nominated by the Department of Work and Pensions, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress. Each of these nominates two full members and one alternate, and chooses its representatives on the basis of their competence in the questions with which the committee deals under its mandate, which is to advise the Commission on the administration of the European Social Fund.

EU Press Officers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press officers are employed by the European Union; and at what cost.

Douglas Alexander: The number of press officers employed by the principal bodies of the European Union fluctuates. Currently, the Council Secretariat employs 13, the Commission 27, the Parliament 53, including 20 in the Parliament's information offices in the member states, the Court of Justice eight, including the head of press service, the court of auditors one, and the European ombudsman one. The EU's advisory bodies, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, employ one and two respectively. The member states of the council also, of course, employ their own press officers.
	It has not been possible to determine the cost of all of these positions, as they could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

South Atlantic (Icebreaking Vessels)

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application of EU legislation on icebreaking capabilities of UK vessels in the South Atlantic.

Ian Pearson: The EU has not passed legislation concerning the icebreaking capabilities for vessels, whether in the South Atlantic, or elsewhere.
	The United Nations' International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has issued Arctic Guidelines for vessels operating in the regions north of 60 degrees north. These guidelines include constructional, navigational and equipment standards. There are plans to extend these guidelines to the South Atlantic but this is unlikely to be finalised before 2008.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he plans to make to the recent call by the Secretary General of the United Nations for increased international action concerning Darfur.

Ian Pearson: As my hon. Friend will know, the UK has been at the forefront of international action concerning Darfur. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa (Lord Triesman of Tottenham) visited Sudan, including Darfur, on 5–8 October and participated in the EU Troika's meetings with senior Sudanese officials. We have provided expert assistance to the Abuja Peace talks and are willing to provide more. We have already provided almost £32 million for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), fully supported the African Union request for securing a further contribution of £70 million from the European Commission, bringing the total EU contribution to AMIS to €162 million. We are exploring all practical steps to ensure that AMIS has access to the military equipment donated to the mission to ensure it can operate effectively. The UK has provided £92 million in humanitarian aid to Darfur since September 2003, and we are calling for others to do more. We continue to work with international partners, including in our role as presidency of the EU, to ensure that the international community is taking full action on Darfur. To this end, we hosted a meeting for key international partners on 1 November in London.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits HM Ambassador to Uzbekistan has made to the city of Andijan since 1 August.

Douglas Alexander: Her Majesty's Ambassador has made several visits to Andizhan, since the events of 13 May. He has not made any further visits been there since 1 August. Other members of the Embassy staff have visited three times since then, and the Embassy has also had regular briefings from other visitors to the region.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK diplomats have observed the work of the Uzbek parliamentary commission investigating the events in Andijan on 13 May.

Douglas Alexander: We have not been part of the official diplomatic team observing the work of the Uzbek parliamentary committee, but we have monitored its activities. We and ourcEU partners have continued to call for an independent international investigation.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to determine the (a) whereabouts and (b) well-being of the Uzbek refugees from the Andijan massacre (i) Dilshod Khajiev, (ii) Tavakal Khajiev, (iii) Hasan Shakirov and (iv) Mukhammad Kadirov.

Douglas Alexander: Since the events of 12–13 May in Andizhan, our Ambassador and his team in Tashkent have continued to co-operate closely with the OSCE and a range of human rights bodies including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee for the Red Cross. This has also been the case with the four refugees illegally returned from Kyrgyzstan on 9 June. We have also been in regular contact with the UNHCR in Geneva.
	On 23 August, the Uzbek Procurator General's Office issued a statement stating that all four remained in custody and that they would all be charged with crimes directly related to their involvement in the May events in Andizhan, including the execution of hostages and civilians. None of the four are among the fifteen currently standing trial in Tashkent for their alleged involvement in events in Andizhan.
	The Uzbek Procurator General's Office has categorically denied rumours that one of the four, Hasan Shakirov, has died in custody as a result of being tortured. But as yet, neither we, nor it appears, any international body has been granted access to them.

Departmental Spending

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding was allocated by his Department to Milton Keynes for (i) capital projects and (ii) revenue funding in each of the last five years.

Alun Michael: The South East England Development Agency has allocated £3,418,633 in the Milton Keynes area on behalf of the Department during the last five years. This consists of £1,304,765 of Capital and £2,113,868 of Revenue funding and was allocated as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Capital Revenue 
		
		
			 2000–01   
			 Wolverton Works & Symbiosis (SRB scheme) 204,629 44,341 
			 Total 204,629 44,341 
			
			 2001–02   
			 New Start for Netherfield (SRB scheme) 5,000 20,660 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 50,000 
			 Total 5,000 70,660 
			
			 2002–03   
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) 75,000 321,601 
			 New Start for Netherfield (SRB scheme) — 5,816 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 50,000 
			 Total 75,000 377,417 
			 2003–04   
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Hubs — 40,000 
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) 100,076 317,768 
			 Developing an Economic Vision for Milton Keynes — 119,648 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 95,000 
			 Wolverton Works & Symbiosis (SRB scheme) 328,399 — 
			 Oxford to Cambridge Arc — 70,000 
			 Total 428,475 642,416 
			
			 2004–05   
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Hubs — 84,000 
			 Wolverton Feasibility Study 30,000 — 
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) 40,895 245,359 
			 Developing an Economic Vision for Milton Keynes — 7,817 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 85,000 
			 Hatchery—Milton Keynes Hub 9,476 — 
			 R & D Grant—Morgana Systems Ltd. 54,809 — 
			 Oxford to Cambridge Arc — 70,000 
			 Total 135,180 492,176 
			
			 2005–06   
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Hubs 147,481 — 
			 Milton Keynes Area Programme 125,000 175,000 
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) — 216,708 
			 SRT Bucks/MK Co-ordinator — 1,980 
			 PT 2005–06 3 Parishes Bus Link — 296 
			 RTF 05–06 Bucks & MK RTPO  4,124 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 75,000 
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Gateway 55,000 — 
			 Hatchery—Milton Keynes Hub 41,000 — 
			 Stoney Stratford Project Manager — 3,750 
			 CUE Architecture Centre (Milton Keynes) — 10,000 
			 Oxford to Cambridge Arc 88,000 — 
			 Total 456,481 486,858 
			
			 Total all years 1,304,765 2,113,868 
			
			 Capital and Revenue spend total 3,418,633

Postcodes

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Post Office's proposals to charge local authorities and other users to use postcodes.

Barry Gardiner: Statutory obligations relating to the management of the "Postcode Address File" are defined under Section 116 of the Postal Services Act 2000, which states that the File can be made "available to any person who wishes to use it on such terms as are reasonable". This obligation is specifically governed under Condition 20 of Royal Mail's licence issued by Postcomm which states that the company shall "furnish a copy of the File to any person who may request it upon payment of a reasonable charge".
	Specific proposals relating to the management of the File are the direct responsibility of the company. I have therefore asked Adam Crozier, the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.

Small Business Service

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses have consulted the Small Business Service in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: The first port of call for anyone wanting help to start a business or to obtain other help as a business is the local Business Link. Business Link is the "national brand" and is delivered locally. As from April 2005 oversight of the local Business Link operators lies with each Regional Development Agency on behalf of the DTI's Small Business Service.
	The following table shows the numbers of customers helped by Business Link operators, per year, since 2001–02. It shows both the number of existing businesses that have been helped by the Business Link Operators and also the total number of customers helped. The total number of customers includes those customers thinking of, or in the process of, starting a business (pre-starts). However, pre-starts are not available as an annual figure prior to 2003–04.
	
		
			  Number of businesses helped Total number of customers helped(16) 
		
		
			 2001–02 245,342 245,342 
			 2002–03 309,680 309,680 
			 2003–04 435,293 605,937 
			 2004–05 492,496 666,237 
			 12 months ending June 2005 500,935 668,392 
		
	
	(16) Including those individuals thinking of, or in the process of starting a business.
	Source:
	Business Link Operator Management Information Returns.
	The role of the Small Business Service itself is to lead on small business issues across government, working to inform and influence policymakers and those who provide business support. It is leading work to spell out what is involved in the "Business Link Brand" and the services or routes to service that can be expected by anyone who contacts a Business Link anywhere in the country which I hope to publish soon.
	The Small Business Service has few direct enquiries from small businesses themselves, although it has very close relationships with the small business representative bodies as well as RDAs and many others.

Antisocial Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list measures introduced to tackle antisocial behaviour since 1997; and how frequently each measure has been used in each region (a) in total and (b) per 100,000 population.

Hazel Blears: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and have been available since April 1999. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 put in place a range of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and gave local agencies the tools they need to tackle antisocial behaviour on the ground.
	Key measures in the Act include:
	Powers to close premises where drugs are used unlawfully
	Powers enabling social landlords to take action against antisocial tenants
	A package of support and sanctions to enable parents to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour among children
	Powers to allow police officers to disperse groups of people who are causing nuisance or intimidating others
	Powers for environmental health officers to close noisy premises
	Powers to tackle graffiti and fly-posting.
	The Housing Act 2004, introduced by ODPM, also contained important measures to enable landlords to tackle antisocial behaviour.
	Data covering all measures are not available in the form requested. However, a one-off snapshot survey of the take up of antisocial behaviour powers was carried out in September 2004 and published in October 2004 in the "Together One-Year On" report. This survey of antisocial behaviour co-ordinators in Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships provided an estimate of use of powers over a 12 month period. The results of the survey, based on responses from 239 antisocial behaviour co-ordinators, found that:
	158 crack house closure orders were made between January and September 2004
	418 dispersal orders were made between January and September 2004
	824 parenting contracts and orders were made between October 2003 and September 2004
	5,383 acceptable behaviour contracts were made between October 2000 and September 2004.
	Data showing the number of ASBOs issued by all courts are shown in the table. Latest data are up to December 2004.
	
		Total number of ASBOs issued up to 31 December 2004 as a proportion of the population as at 30 June 2004, by region
		
			 Regions Total ASBOs issued(17) Population as at 30 June 2004(18) (age 10 or over) Rate per 100,000 population 
		
		
			 North East 201 2,263,408 9 
			 North West 1,168 6,031,248 19 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 615 4,449,206 14 
			 East Midland 263 3,790,438 7 
			 West Midlands 651 4,692,163 14 
			 East 369 4,838,909 8 
			 Greater London 448 6,503,148 7 
			 South East 471 7,159,572 7 
			 South West 297 4,488,637 7 
			 Wales 166 2,615,071 6 
			 England and Wales 4,649 46,831,800 10 
		
	
	1 As reported to the Home Office
	(17) Source: ONS.

Drug-related Offending (Braintree)

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for suspected drug-related offences have been made in the Braintree constituency during the last five years.

Hazel Blears: Data on number of arrests for suspected drug-related offences is not collated in the format requested.
	Statistics for arrests for drug offences, such as possession of drugs or possession with intent to supply, are available by police force area. However, it is known that many other crimes may be drug-related, such as burglary or shoplifting, which are often carried out in order to obtain drugs. Information on the number of arrests for some of these offence types is also only available by police force area. Details of both can be found in the annual publication 'Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Arrests for Notifiable Offences and the Operations of Certain Police Powers under PACE' which is published on the Home Office website.
	The total number of persons arrested for drug offences and other acquisitive offences, a significant proportion of which are likely to be drug-related, in the Essex police force area since 2000 is shown in the following table.
	
		Number of persons arrested for notifiable offences by offence type, Essex police force area
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Drug offences 2,108 1,643 1,850 1,585 
			 Robbery 378 745 432 560 
			 Burglary 2,002 1,678 1,839 1,976 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 9,815 8,486 8,469 8,260 
			 Fraud and forgery 780 1,671 811 1,112

Firearms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on tackling the possession of firearms among young males.

Hazel Blears: The Government's approach to dealing with this problem focuses on three main areas. First the legislative framework where we have taken steps to strengthen the laws governing the possession of firearms which are already among the toughest in the world. We have introduced a mandatory five year minimum sentence for anyone convicted of possession of an illegal firearm, made it an offence to carry an imitation or air gun in public without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, banned the sale, manufacture and import of guns that use self contained gas cartridge systems, and strengthened the law on airguns. The Violent Crime Reduction Bill builds on these measures.
	Second, we have worked closely with law enforcement agencies to strengthen enforcement action.
	Third, we recognise the key part played by communities in addressing the wider issue of this underlying gun culture. We have put £2 million from recycled criminal assets into anti-gun crime projects across the country this year. In addition, the Connected Fund launched last year, provides grants to small voluntary groups working on gun crime, knife crime and gang-related issues. This has proved very successful, supporting over 150 community groups across the country to date.

Historical Sex Abuse Cases

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what penalties are available for journalists who report prejudicial material which may damage an investigation into historical sex abuse; and on how many occasions in the last 10 years these penalties have been used.

Fiona Mactaggart: Under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, it is a contempt once legal proceedings are active to publish material that creates a substantial risk that the course of justice in those proceedings will be seriously impeded or prejudiced. This is regardless of whether there is any intent.
	The maximum term of committal is two years, and or a fine; community penalties are not available. Statistics on the use of these penalties are not available. Persons proceeded against for offences under the Contempt of Court Act 1981 cannot be separately identified on the Home Office court proceedings database.

Missing Children

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to establish the whereabouts of the African and Caribbean boys between the ages of four and seven who were recently identified as having gone missing from London schools over a three-month period; and what steps have been taken to encourage the Department for Education and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to work more closely together to improve systems of record keeping.

Hazel Blears: Initial inquiries made by Metropolitan Police Officers investigating the 'Adam' murder found that a number of African boys had not returned to school following the summer break in 2001. Following their further investigations, I understand from the Metropolitan Police Service that in every case that there were legitimate reasons for the boys not returning to school and none of the boys reported as missing is unaccounted for.
	There has been considerable media speculation that these children were trafficked for the purpose of ritual abuse. There is no evidence that any of them has come to any harm or been involved in ritualistic practices and there were no allegations from either the families or schools that the welfare of these children was at risk. The Metropolitan police have made it clear that they believe this type of crime to be extremely rare, and that there is no evidence to suggest that any children are at risk.
	The Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and the police service are continuing to work together to reinforce local procedures to ensure that any children at risk might be identified. Every Child Matters: Change for Children, published by the Department for Education and Skills on 1 December 2004, iterates the Government's expectation that by December 2005 every local authority should have systematic arrangements in place to identify children missing from education, so that suitable provision can be made for them.

Police

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the starting salary of a new police officer was for each police force area in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 July 2005
	Starting pay for police constables in the last three years is set out in the table.
	In addition to their pay, officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police receive a London allowance of £4,338 for officers recruited on or after one September 1994 and who are not in receipt of a housing allowance. Officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley who were recruited on or after 1 September and who are not in receipt of a housing allowance receive a South East allowance of £2,000 a year. Qualifying officers in Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex receive a South East allowance of £1,000 a year.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Starting pay in Home Department police forces outside of London Starting pay in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police(43) 
		
		
			 September 2002 18,264 20,091 
			 April 2003 18,666 20,493 
			 July 2003 18,666 20,547 
			 September 2003 19,227 21,108 
			 July 2004 19,227 21,165 
			 September 2004 19,803 21,741 
		
	
	(43) The pay of constables in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police is increased by London weighting.

Prisons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners took part in higher educational courses in prisons in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity.

Fiona Mactaggart: These data would only be available at disproportionate cost.
	The Department for Education and Skills provides support funding for Open University Openings access courses, Open University undergraduate course modules and contributions to tutorial costs. The table shows the number of places funded (figures are available centrally only from 2002).
	
		OU courses
		
			  Openings Undergraduate Total 
		
		
			 2002–03 0 450 450 
			 2003–04 200 650 850 
			 2004–05 250 850 1,100 
			 2005–06 250 1,050 (44)1,300 
		
	
	(44) planned

Prisons

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of violent incidents in prisons have occurred in overcrowded cells in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: Data on the number of violent incidents in overcrowded cells is not available and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many mothballed or decommissioned prison places there are within the prison estate, broken down by location;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of returning mothballed or decommissioned prison places into service;
	(3)  if he will take steps to build new prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: A number of places at Ranby (46 places), Dartmoor (98 places) and Glen Parva (120 places) have been permanently decommissioned. It is not economic or feasible to bring these places back into use.
	Two wings at Long Lartin (152 places) have been taken out of use as they are no longer fit for purpose and a decision to refurbish or replace them is under consideration. The relative cost of each option is still to be determined.
	There is a small 12 place mother and baby unit at Askham Grange which is not being currently used as there is no pressure on this facility at present.
	The Weare, a 400-place prison ship was also closed in August 2005, but no decision about its future has yet been taken. There are no plans, at present, to build new prisons.

Under-age Drinking (Gravesham)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sum in fines was imposed for the sale of alcohol to under-18s in Gravesham in 2003.

Hazel Blears: The sum of fines imposed in 2003 for the sale of alcohol to under-18s in Gravesham was £950. This figure relates to Dartford and Gravesham adult court for the offence; "Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises".

Zimbabwean Farmers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Zimbabwean farmers have been granted asylum in the UK since 2001.

Tony McNulty: The requested information is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on the occupation of asylum seekers is not routinely collected as part of the processing of asylum applications and is not centrally collated.
	Information on initial decisions and appeal outcomes is published quarterly and annually. The next publication covering the third quarter of 2005 will be available on 22 November 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

"Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" Consultation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for the "Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation exercise; and how much has been spent on it to date.

Liam Byrne: The estimated central cost of the nationally organised elements of the "Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation, excluding Department of Health staff costs, is £1,245,000. Funding it comes from the Department's running costs budget. Under resource accounting, £975,000 has been spent, or assigned for expenditure.

"Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" Consultation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be formally consulted as part of the "Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation exercise.

Liam Byrne: The "Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation is designed to consult the public on what they want from community health and social care services. Alongside this public consultation, a wide range of health and social care stakeholders and staff are being consulted.

Acute Hospitals (Bed Utilisation)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average percentage level of bed utilisation in acute hospitals was in each year since 2000.

Liam Byrne: Beds data is available at trust level. The table shows the average occupancy rate at acute trusts from 2000–01 to 2004–05.
	
		Average occupancy rate, acute trusts, England, 2000–01 to 2004–05
		
			  Average occupancy rate (percentage) 
		
		
			 2000–01 83.4 
			 2001–02 84.3 
			 2002–03 85.0 
			 2003–04 85.4 
			 2004–05 84.4 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH03.

Children's Diet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated for educating and advising parents on the benefits of a healthy diet for their children in 2005–06.

Caroline Flint: A total budget of £2 million has been allocated for the 5 A DAY programme for 2005–06, which includes promotion and education of the 5 A DAY message to parents and other population groups on the benefits of a healthy diet for their children. Also, as part of phase one of healthy start in Devon and Cornwall, approximately £50,000 has been allocated towards producing materials for beneficiaries that contain information and guidance on nutrition and healthy eating for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Another £500,000 has been allocated in 2005–06 for the obesity social marketing campaign promised in the White Paper "Choosing health". The campaign will take an early focus on children under 11 and their influences, primarily parents/carers.
	There is an allocation of £200 million over the next three years for the improvement of school food, which could be used to educate pupils and parents in healthier eating at school. In addition, the School Food Trust is currently being set up with a budget of £15 million to support schools in making the transformation to healthy meals, giving independent support and advice to schools and parents.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is also a major source of information on food and nutrition. Although the FSA has not specifically allocated any resource to advise parents in this manner, their eatwell website (available at www.eatwell.gov.uk), together with life stage healthy eating leaflets and media features, continues to be an important tool that the Government use to provide parents with practical healthy eating advice for children and young people.

Departmental Records

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics her Department records relating to applications for vacancies for (a) junior doctor, (b) pre-registration house officer and (c) senior house officer posts; and what recent assessment she has made of the competition for jobs at each level.

Liam Byrne: Information on applications for vacancies in respect of junior doctors, pre registration house officer (PRHO) and senior house officer (SHO) posts is not collected centrally.
	Entry into the training grades is competitive and there has always been healthy competition for posts.
	The number of specialist registrar (SpR) posts available is based on the future demand for trained specialists in each specialty determined by service demand and the impact of key government objectives.
	We are aware that the number of applicants for most SHO posts has risen this year and it is likely that this is especially so for SHO posts in popular areas such as London and in popular specialties such as surgery. However, some of the reports of the difficulty in obtaining SHO posts have been exaggerated.
	We value highly those doctors in whose education and training we have invested heavily, and recognise that they have made a substantial commitment to the medical profession and a future career in the national health service. We want these doctors to progress and develop their careers in the NHS where we see them as the doctors of the future, delivering modernised patient centred services.

GP Practices

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP practices have started to use the "Choose and Book" system since its inception, broken down by (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust.

Liam Byrne: The information requested, as in late October, has been placed in the Library, but this information changes daily as more and more general practitioner practices 'go live' with "Choose and Book".

HIV Tests

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many HIV tests in each genito-urinary medicine clinic in each London strategic health authority were (a) offered and (b) taken in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The numbers of HIV tests offered and taken in the genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics within the London strategic health authorities (SHAs) are shown in the table. The dataset used to compile this data was taken from the KC60 return, which is made by all GUM clinics to the health protection agency. Only those tests offered and taken in GUM clinics are recorded in the KC60 return, testing undertaken in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the dataset. Data was only shown for 2003 and 2004, as the KC60 code that records sexual health screen with a HIV test (S2) was only introduced in 2003.
	The data does not represent the number of HIV tests offered and taken up by the population resident within each SHA, as many patients cross health boundaries to access GUM clinics. In addition, the gender and sexual orientation mix varies between clinics. Some clinics are attended by a high number of men who have sex with men and consequently this influences the number of HIV tests offered and taken.
	
		Numbers of HIV testsoffered(48) and taken(49) in GUM clinics bySHA, London: 2003and 2004
		
			 SHA/Clinic name Offered/Tested 2003 2004 
		
		
			 North Central London
			 Archway Sexual Health Clinic Offered 5,597 6,676 
			  Tested 4,323 4,991 
			 Clare Simpson House Offered 1,526 3,052 
			  Tested 1,262 2,313 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital Offered 109 117 
			  Tested 86 90 
			 Mortimer Market Centre Offered 14,432 16,635 
			  Tested 13,136 14,895 
			 St Ann's Hospital Offered 4,392 6,489 
			  Tested 2,495 3,454 
			 The Royal Free Hospital Offered 3,950 3,420 
			  Tested 2,933 2,672 
			 Town Clinic Offered 2,210 2,716 
			  Tested 1,410 1,668 
			 
			 North East London
			 Forest Healthcare Offered 1,762 1,426 
			  Tested 1,660 1,094 
			 Homerton Hospital Offered 11,888 10,141 
			  Tested 8,157 7,011 
			 John Scott Health Centre, Choices N4 Offered 17 90 
			  Tested 17 84 
			 Newham General Hospital Offered 3,429 5,783 
			  Tested 2,492 3,251 
			 Oldchurch Hospital Offered 881 601 
			  Tested 627 566 
			 St Bartholomew's Hospital Offered 4,347 5,419 
			  Tested 1,141 2,987 
			 Sydenham Centre Offered 722 750 
			  Tested 657 717 
			 The Royal London Hospital Offered 8,947 8,362 
			  Tested 2,412 563 
			 
			 North West London
			 Central Middlesex Hospital, Patrick Clements Clinic Offered 6,366 6,829 
			  Tested 4,269 4,690 
			 Charing Cross Hospital Offered 5,720 8,490 
			  Tested 4,278 5,151 
			 Ealing Hospital, Pasteur Suite Offered 1,941 4,184 
			  Tested 1,439 3,273 
			 Jefferiss Wing Offered 17,244 20,411 
			  Tested 12,663 14,783 
			 John Hunter Clinic, 4th floor Offered 9,051 9,750 
			  Tested 6,425 7,548 
			 Northwick Park Hospital Offered 3,806 3,506 
			  Tested 2,664 2,777 
			 South Westminster Centre Offered 6,566 8,705 
			  Tested 5,285 7,020 
			 Tudor Wing, Hillingdon Hospital Offered 2,091 1,940 
			  Tested 1,696 1,609 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital Offered 3,198 6,260 
			  Tested 2,999 3,984 
			 
			 South East London
			 Beckenham Hospital Offered 2,708 3,268 
			  Tested 1,551 1,915 
			 King's College Hospital(50) Offered 12,982 17,474 
			  Tested 6,453 8,032 
			 Lloyd Clinic, Second Floor Offered 5,866 4,910 
			  Tested 4,175 3,594 
			 St. Thomas's Hospital Offered 16,798 15,652 
			  Tested 9,672 9,779 
			 Trafalgar Clinic Offered 5,341 5,832 
			  Tested 3,816 4,266 
			 South West London
			 Kingston Hospital Offered 4,034 5,663 
			  Tested 3,463 4,589 
			 Mayday University Hospital Offered 4,063 9,628 
			  Tested 2,136 3,187 
			 Queen Mary's University Hospital Offered 4,913 4,954 
			  Tested 2,553 2,585 
			 St. Helier Hospital Offered 4,019 4,511 
			  Tested 1,694 2,069 
			 The Courtyard Clinic Offered 15,874 16,265 
			  Tested 10,882 8,984 
		
	
	(48) Offered defined as KC60 codes S2 (HIV antibody test and sexual health screen) plus P1A (HIV antibody test no sexual health screen) plus P1B (HIV antibody test offered and refused).
	(49) Test taken defined as S2+P1A.
	(50) King's College Hospital does not collect information for code S2.

Lymphoedema

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with lymphoedema in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Data on the incidence of lymphoedema is not available.

Neurologists

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many neurologists were practising in the NHS in each of the last four years.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of neurologists practising in the national health service in the United Kingdom is not collected centrally.
	However information on the number of medical staff within the neurology specialty practising in the NHS in England is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Headcount 
			  All staff Of which: consultants 
		
		
			 2001 751 359 
			 2002 770 366 
			 2003 841 410 
			 2004 902 449

Non-emergency Operations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in (a) Redbridge, (b) Waltham Forest and (c) England received (i) laser eye surgery, (ii) cataract removal, (iii) bladder keyhole surgery, (iv) coronary artery bypass graft, (v) knee replacement, (vi) hip replacement, (vii) ingrown toenail operations and (viii) varicose vein treatment in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average cost was of each operation to the NHS.

Liam Byrne: Data on the costs of national health service hospital services is gathered at healthcare resource group (HRG) level, not at the level of individual procedures. This data is collected as part of the annual reference cost collection.
	The table shows the relevant HRG category aligned with the information requested for the following procedures:
	cataract removal
	bladder keyhole surgery
	coronary artery bypass graft
	knee replacement
	hip replacement
	varicose vein treatment
	All data comes from the 2003–04 reference cost collection.
	Information on "laser eye surgery" and "ingrown toenail operations" is not shown as these costs are not separately identified within the reference cost collection.
	
		
			Redbridge1 Waltham Forest2 England 
			  HRG  HRG Description  Description  FCEs3  FCEs3  FCEs3 National Average (£) 
		
		
			 B13 Phakoemulsification Cataract Extraction and Insertion of Lens cataract removal 1,530 2,491 276,004 717 
			 B14 Non Phakoemulsification Cataract Surgery cataract removal 2 151 5,567 793 
			 E04 Coronary Bypass coronary artery bypass graft 2 — 19,215 7,131 
			 G13 Cholecystectomy >69 or with complications or comorbidities bladder keyhole surgery 103 31 11,109 2,449 
			 G14 Cholecystectomy <70 without complications or comorbidities bladder keyhole surgery 279 119 36,442 1,723 
			 H04 Primary Knee Replacement knee replacement 386 178 46,585 5,306 
			 H80 Primary Hip Replacement Cemented hip replacement 222 90 36,467 4,750 
			 H81 Primary Hip Replacement Uncemented hip replacement 77 36 6,852 4,603 
			 Q11 Varicose Vein Procedures varicose vein treatment 564 161 43,386 967 
		
	
	(51) Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust.
	(52) Whipps Cross University Hospitals NHS Trust.
	(53) Finished consultant episodes (FCEs) as reported in 2003–04 reference cost collection.

Nurses/Doctors

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors have been employed in (a) South Tyneside, (b) the North East and (c) England in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The number of doctors employed in the national health service in England and the North East is shown in the table. Information is not available centrally for South Tyneside.
	
		
			   Number 
			  England North East 
		
		
			 1997 89,619 5,033 
			 1998 91,837 5,048 
			 1999 93,981 5,269 
			 2000 96,319 5,489 
			 2001 99,169 5,656 
			 2002 103,350 5,823 
			 2003 108,993 6,071 
			 2004 117,036 6,524

Patient Communication

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) guidelines and (b) procedures her Department has in place to ensure patients who cannot communicate verbally are able to express themselves to staff.

Liam Byrne: The Department in partnership with the Disability Rights Commission published "You Can Make A Difference", which is available on the Department's website last year at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/equalityandhumanrights.
	This leaflet aims to improve disabled people's experience of hospital services and gives practical suggestions of ways in which national health service staff can meet the needs of disabled service users, including those who cannot communicate verbally.
	It is for local authorities and health service providers to determine how best to develop procedures and provide services to meet the needs of individuals.

Patient-led NHS

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the document Commissioning a Patient-led NHS, what formal consultations are required to be undertaken by the Thames Valley strategic health authority prior to the reconfiguration of primary care trusts.

Liam Byrne: Proposals regarding the reconfiguration of primary care trusts were submitted to the Department last week by all 28 strategic health authorities (SHAs), and will shortly be considered by an external panel representing a wide range of stakeholder interests. If the proposals are found to meet the criteria originally specified in "Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS", published in July, they will be subject to a full, statutory public consultation. This public consultation will last three months, and will begin in December 2005.
	In addition, all SHAs have consulted informally with a wide range of key stakeholder groups in drawing up their initial proposals.

Rebranding

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on rebranding in her Department and related agencies since 2003–04.

Jane Kennedy: The Department has not changed its branding since 1999 therefore, no money has been spent on rebranding since 2003–04.
	The Department currently has three executive and related agencies: NHS purchasing and supply agency, NHS connecting for health and medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency. These three agencies spent a total of approximately £108,000 on rebranding since 2003–04.
	The Department's branding team developed a branding policy and guidelines for the Department's executive agencies and arms length bodies which were sent to the bodies following the publication of "An Implementation Framework for Reconfiguring the DH Arm's Length Bodies" (30 November 2004).
	In 2003–04, the Department had three other executive and related agencies: NHS pensions agency, NHS estates, and NHS modernisation agency. All these agencies followed the standard national health service corporate identity and did not rebrand before they changed status or were dissolved.

Skin Whitening Creams

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the (a) scope and (b) scale of illegal sales of potentially toxic prescription-only skin whitening creams.

Jane Kennedy: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware that products containing medicines designated as prescription-only are being sold for cosmetic skin lightening purposes. Reports of their illegal sale have come to our attention through trading standards departments at local authorities and consumers who have suffered adverse reactions.
	These products tend to be found on sale in markets and in small retail outlets in inner-city areas where there is a higher density of Afro Caribbean and Asian population.
	Prescription-only medicines are potent by nature, and for this reason, their supply is restricted to patients who have been issued with a prescription from a doctor or another appropriate practitioner. In this way, their condition may be monitored. Sale and supply of these medicines outwith specified conditions can be a criminal offence and the MHRA will investigate all potential breaches of medicines law.
	In April 2000, the Medicines Control Agency—this was prior to the merger with the Medical Devices Agency and emergence of the MHRA—conducted an initiative whereby a number of wholesalers/retailers of these products were identified and enforcement action was taken. In 95 per cent. of the visits, compliance was achieved and products withdrawn from the market.
	Intelligence suggested that, following MHRA action, large scale wholesale operations ceased but "suitcase trade" persisted. This situation has been monitored in the intervening period and action has been taken in a number of instances, with reports from both trading standards and Her Majesty's Customs.

Sterile Services Units

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what standards she has set for the provision of services in sterile services units; and what steps she is taking to improve the delivery of sterile services within the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: The standards set for sterile services are contained in Core Standard C4 in "Annex A—Standards for Better Health of National Standards, Local Action—Health and Social Care Standards and Planning Framework 2005/06 to 2007/08", a copy of which is available in the Library.
	Over £130 million has been spent on replacing equipment, improving working conditions in existing sterile services departments (SSDs) and buying new instruments to facilitate centralisation since April 2001. In order to sustain the improvement and enable the national health service to meet the existing standards on the reprocessing of instruments, many of the existing SSDs will be replaced completely.
	Many NHS trusts are choosing to redevelop their sterile services by forming joint ventures with private sector providers. 18 such projects are under way, involving some 80 NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts.

Strategic Health Authorities (England)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the spending of each of the strategic health authorities in England has been in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: Expenditure by strategic health authorities (SHAs) in England for 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 is shown in the table.
	
		
			£000 
			 SHA 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 154,772 124,233 144,297 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 97,706 40,541 41,068 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 289,812 245,723 262,244 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 208,150 158,778 182,356 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 141,449 114,891 125,793 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 436,695 424,989 65,022 
			 Dorset and Somerset 58,850 39,600 47,368 
			 Essex 144,693 41,713 45,670 
			 Greater Manchester 262,438 214,824 253,957 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 169,543 114,322 137,721 
			 Kent and Medway 59,890 10,575 132,565 
			 Leicestershire, Northants and Rutland 123,892 99,967 119,248 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 237,026 184,331 209,383 
			 North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 88,302 38,042 45,611 
			 North Central London 196,310 175,194 188,929 
			 North East London 224,019 213,821 236,880 
			 North West London 219,237 172,920 184,199 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 103,762 84,153 91,082 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 66,508 32,589 32,946 
			 South East London 188,553 187,252 192,706 
			 South West London 123,601 107,135 112,853 
			 South West Peninsula 126,281 81,021 112,180 
			 South Yorkshire 230,148 207,656 214,632 
			 Surrey and Sussex 244,288 169,414 76,194 
			 Thames Valley 167,899 116,581 131,107 
			 Trent 189,976 144,961 166,619 
			 West Midlands South 75,497 40,099 43,492 
			 West Yorkshire 183,688 192,804 202,882 
			 England Total 4,812,985 3,778,129 3,799,004 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Expenditure is taken from audited health authority summarisation forms, which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from cash allocations in the year. The figures have not been adjusted for inflation.
	2. Figures have been adjusted to eliminate expenditure which would be double counted where an authority acts as a lead in commissioning health care or other services.
	3. The majority of expenditure of the SHAs is for education, training and research.
	4. Reductions in expenditure between 2002–03 and 2003–04 are caused by the further transfer of commissioning from SHAs to primary care trusts.
	Source:
	Audited summarisation forms of SHAs.

Asylum and Immigration Appeals

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average length of time was to process and determine immigration appeals from the date of being lodged to the date of hearing (a) before and (b) since 4 April 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The latest provisional information available from the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) indicates that immigration appeals, comprising both in-country and entry clearance cases, lodged (a) before the 4 April 2005, took on average 54 weeks from first being lodged to a decision being promulgated by an Immigration Adjudicator of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA).
	Immigration appeals arising from a claim refused by the Respondent prior to the 4 April 2005 were lodged first, in accordance with the Tribunal's procedure rules, with the decision maker (dependent on whether in-country or entry clearance) before being transferred to the IAA to be determined by an Immigration Adjudicator.
	The latest provisional information available from the AIT indicates that an in-country immigration appeal, lodged (b) after the 4 April 2005, took on average seven weeks from being lodged to a decision being promulgated by an Immigration Judge of the AIT. Entry clearance appeals are not included within this information due to the current absence of a statistically significant sample of cases having been promulgated by the AIT in the period from 4 April to the end of June 2005.
	Immigration appeals arising from a claim refused by the Respondent on or after the 4 April 2005 are lodged directly to the AIT in accordance with Rule 6 of "The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 2005". Appellants bringing an appeal from outside the United Kingdom, following a refusal of entry clearance, can lodge their appeal to the entry clearance officer, who must forward the appeal to the AIT within 10 days of taking receipt.

Asylum and Immigration Appeals

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many immigration appeals (a) lodged before and (b) lodged since 4 April 2005 were processed and determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in (i) April, (ii) May, (iii) June, (iv) July, (v) August, (vi) September and (vii) to date in October; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The latest provisional figures available from the electronic database of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) indicate that the number of immigration appeal decisions, comprising both in-country and entry clearance cases, determined by the AIT in each month from April to the end of June 2005 is as follows:
	
		Immigration appeals determined which were lodged prior to 4 April 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 April 2005 2,875 
			 May 2005 2,514 
			 June 2005 2,488 
		
	
	
		Immigration appeals determined which were lodged after 4 April 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 April 2005 0 
			 May 2005 48 
			 June 218 
		
	
	Statistical data confirming the numbers of immigration appeals determined in the period beyond June 2005 is not yet available.

Departmental Staff

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the rates of employee absence in her Department have been in each year since 1997.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to the figures contained on the annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" published by the Cabinet Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based. The most recent report for the calendar year 2003 was published on 1 November 2004, copies of which are available in the Library. This report and those for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_civil_service/conditions_of_service/occupational_health/publications/index.asp
	In respect of the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the published figures include the Department itself and its Associated Offices, the Court Service and the Public Guardianship Office. They do not include sickness absence data in respect of the former Magistrates Courts Services, which were merged with the Court Service in April 2005 to form Her Majesty's Court Service.
	The Department remains committed to managing sickness absence effectively and has actively adopted the recommendations of the recently published "Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector".

Electoral Administration

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of Clause 23 of the Electoral Administration Bill on the ability of independent candidates to run with the ballot paper description of independent combined with the name of a registered political party.

Harriet Harman: Clause 22 allows independent candidates to use the word Independent' or a description. Clause 23 specifies the type of description that can be used. The description must not be the same as the name or description of a registered political party, nor be so similar as to confuse with or lead an elector to associate the candidate with a registered political party.

Expert Witnesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what prerequisites are set a person needs to give evidence as an expert.

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
	In criminal law, where matters fall outside the ordinary knowledge of the court, the court may allow the opinions of an expert witness to be admitted as evidence. The decision whether or not to allow the evidence of an expert witness to be admitted rests with the court, which must be satisfied that the material comes within a recognised field of expertise and that the witness is properly qualified in the subject calling for expertise. The appropriate competence may be the result of formal study or training, experience, or both. It is for the jury to decide what weight ought to be placed on any expert evidence that has been admitted.
	One exception to these general rules is that, under the Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991, a defendant shall not be acquitted on the grounds of insanity, or found unfit to plead, except on the evidence of two or more registered medical practitioners, at least one of whom is approved by the Secretary of State as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorder.

Limitation Act 1980

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will review the Limitation Act 1980 in respect of victims of child abuse suing for compensation.

Bridget Prentice: The Government announced its acceptance in principle of the recommendations made by the Law Commission in its 2001 report "Limitation of Actions" (Law Com 270), subject to further consideration of certain aspects, in July 2002.
	The Law Commission recommended that a child abuse claim should be brought within three years of the date on which the claimant knew (or ought reasonably to have known) the facts giving rise to the cause of action; the identity of the defendant; and, that any injury, loss or damage was significant. As now, time would not run while the claimant was a minor. In addition, the court would have discretion to disapply the limitation period if it would be unjust not to allow the claim to proceed.
	It is hoped that the remaining work on the recommendations will be concluded this autumn. We will then seek a legislative opportunity to introduce a Bill to reform the law.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much her Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head in each year since 2002.

Bridget Prentice: The Department did not spend any money specifically on in-house literacy and numeracy training in the years 2002–05. However, some literacy issues are covered in our "Effective Writing", "Letter Writing" and "Minute Writing" in-house courses.

Bullying

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils left school because they were victims of bullying in (a) the Tees Valley and (b) the Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Data on bullying among children and young people, including data on pupils who have left school because of bullying, is not collected centrally. Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than before but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or that it is affecting more children.
	However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our guidance "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying.

Bullying

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines she has issued to teachers on how to (a) prevent and (b) report bullying; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: We attach a high priority to helping teachers and school staff to reduce and respond to bullying, to encouraging pupils to report bullying and to helping staff respond when bullying has been reported: bullying is a serious problem which puts the emotional well-being and educational achievement of pupils at risk. Our guidance pack "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", the anti-bullying Charter for Action and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying all offer advice to teachers on preventing and reporting bullying.
	The "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence" pack was updated in September 2002. Its key message is for children to report bullying to someone they trust and not to suffer in silence. It offers valuable guidance to teachers on preventing and tackling bullying, the effects of bullying, how to respond to parents, and how to monitor bullying incidents. The Department is currently reviewing the material to provide teachers with the most up-to-date information.
	In addition to the written resources we provide we have also held a number of workshops and conferences at which best practice in reducing and responding to bullying has been discussed and shared. In particular our "Make the Difference" conferences, held between November 2003 to June 2004, attracted over 5,000 heads and education staff.
	The Department has also recently launched the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) curriculum resource—an intervention to develop children's social, emotional and behavioural skills from foundation stage to year 6. It is available to all primary schools and the evidence from the pilot suggests that it helps reduce bullying and promotes positive behaviour generally.

Bullying

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of cases of bullying in secondary schools in Leeds North West in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: As data on bullying is not collected centrally we do not have statistics relating to incidents of bullying at secondary level in the Leeds North West area. Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than before but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or that it is affecting more children.
	However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our guidance "Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", the anti-bullying charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying.

Ethnic Minority Achievement

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the ethnic minority achievement element of the Standards Fund granted to (a) the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and (b) Wokingham district council was in each of the last three years; and what it is expected to be in each of the next two financial years;
	(2)  what the criteria for the allocation of the ethnic minority achievement element of the Standards Fund have been in each of the last three years;
	(3)  if she will list the local authorities whose funding for the ethnic minority achievement element of the Standards Fund will have been reduced by more than (a) 30 per cent. and (b) 40 per cent. between 2004 and 2007.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 31 October 2005
	Changes to the distribution of the Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMAG) element of the Standards Fund were from introduced from 2004–05 to bring a better targeted, fairer and more sensible distribution to this grant. These changes were endorsed by the DfES "Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils" consultation of 2003. Between 2005–06 and 2007–08, EMAG total funding will have increased by almost £10 million. In spite of these increases the reforms to the distribution of EMAG were not possible without losses to some authorities. No authority has been worse off as a result of these changes than 0.05 per cent. of their overall Education Formula Spending Share.
	The allocations laid out here indicate the DfES contribution to EMAG for Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. Allocations beyond 2007–08 have not been made.
	
		
			 Programme year £ 
		
		
			 2003–04  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 153,898 
			 Wokingham 36,474 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 153,898 
			 Wokingham 36,474 
			   
			 2005–06  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 121,142 
			 Wokingham 42,953 
			   
			 2006–071  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 88,387 
			 Wokingham 49,467 
			   
			 2007–081  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 86,380 
			 Wokingham 55,132 
		
	
	(59) Provisional DfES contribution.
	In 2003–04 to 2005–06 the DfES contribution was matched funded by local authorities at 50 per cent. grant rate.
	The criteria for the distribution of EMAG are laid out in the Standards Fund Circular each year. For:
	2003–04 Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG)
	The criteria for allocations for each authority remained the same as for 2002–03. The 2002–03 grant reflected historic allocations to authorities dating from the evolvement in 1999–2000 of EMAG from the Home Office Section 11. (Section 11 had been based on a bidding process and did not necessarily reflect pupil numbers).
	2004–05 Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG)
	For 2004–05, the national total for EMAG was increased by 4 per cent. For 2004–05 the DfES introduced a phased move towards a new, needs based formula for allocating EMAG. This formula is based on the numbers of pupils from nationally underachieving ethnic groups and the numbers of pupils with a first language other than English, with a weighting for free school meals. Pupils are only counted once in the formula.
	For some authorities the formula warranted a reduction in grant. Instead of increasing every authority's allocation by 4 per cent., the DfES froze the allocation at the 2003–04 level for those authorities who would otherwise have lost under the new formula. This was for one year only. Other authorities who were to gain began a move towards their new formula amount. All authorities, except the Isles of Scilly, received a total allocation of at least £35,000, including the local authority contribution. EMAG remained a ring-fenced grant to be spent only on raising the attainment of pupils from minority ethnic groups.
	2005–06 Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG
	For 2005–06, the national total for EMAG was increased by 4 per cent. The DfES continued to move towards the new, needs based, formula for allocating EMAG. This was again based on the numbers of pupils from nationally underachieving ethnic groups and the numbers of pupils with a first language other than English with a weighting for free school meals. Once again pupils are only counted once in the formula.
	For some authorities this resulted in a reduction in grant. The DfES ensured that the allocation for those LEAs who would otherwise lose under the new formula was not reduced by more than 0.05 per cent. of their overall School Formula Funding Share. Other authorities continued to move towards their new formula amount. EMAG remained ring-fenced to be spent only on raising the attainment of pupils from minority ethnic groups.
	The list of those authorities that have had reduction of over 30 per cent. and 40 per cent. is as follows. Those that have had a reduction of over 40 per cent. also appear in the over 30 per cent. list.
	(a) Comparing the DfES contribution of the Ethnic Minority Achievement element (EMAG) of the Standards Fund of 2003–04 with the provisional DfES allocation of 2007–08, the following local authorities 1 have had their DfES contribution to EMAG cut by more than 30 per cent.:
	Bedfordshire
	Buckinghamshire
	Bury
	Cambridgeshire
	Darlington
	Hertfordshire
	Kent
	Lancashire
	Leicestershire
	Medway
	North Lincolnshire
	North Tyneside
	Rotherham
	South Tyneside
	Wakefield
	Warrington
	Warwickshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Worcestershire.
	1 Excluding the Isles of Scilly.
	(b) Comparing the DfES contribution of the Ethnic Minority Achievement element (EMAG) of the Standards Fund of 2003–04 with the provisional DfES allocation of 2007–08, the following local authorities 1 have had their DfES contribution to EMAG cut by more than 40 per cent.:
	Bedfordshire
	Buckinghamshire
	Darlington
	Hertfordshire
	Kent
	Lancashire
	North Lincolnshire
	North Tyneside
	Rotherham
	South Tyneside
	Wakefield
	Warwickshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead.
	1 Excluding the Isles of Scilly.

Non-contact Time Obligations

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to assist schools with the lowest pupil funding level to secure adequate funding to enable statutory non-contact time obligations to be met; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Work force reform, including statutory non-contact time, is about more than additional funding. We have always said that contractual changes, such as planning, preparation and assessment (PPA), would require reform as well as investment and we firmly believe that much can be achieved within schools from redeploying existing resources to introduce and sustain the changes. Schools will need to consider their own circumstances and the opportunities available to them—some strategies may be easier to implement than others. There is no "one size fits all" approach and schools will need to decide what strategies would be the most appropriate for them.
	In introducing new arrangements for school funding from 2006–07, we intend to deliver greater certainty and stability for schools. Our intention is to set the minimum funding guarantee for 2006–07 at a level which covers anticipated average cost pressures on schools, including the full-year costs of implementing work force reform, subject to a final assessment of those pressures. We will announce details of authorities1 funding allocations in the late autumn together with the level of the guarantee.

School Meals

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department's recent announcement concerning kitchens in new schools will apply to those schools approved for construction, but not yet constructed, before the announcement was made.

Jacqui Smith: The School Meals Review Panel, in its report "Turning the Tables: Transforming School Food" published on 3 October 2005, recommended that schools should aspire to achieve the highest quality of provision, which it defined as a hot meal, cooked on-site from fresh and seasonal ingredients. It is preferable if the kitchens are on the school premises, but this may not be sensible in all circumstances. These decisions are, rightly, made locally, and my Department does not generally approve school designs individually, which are procured by local authorities or schools. We expect all schools and authorities to consider carefully and seriously our ambitions when building or refurbishing schools, whether they were started before or after our announcements on raising the standards of school food.

School Expulsions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils left school due to expulsion in (a) the Tees Valley and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Requested information relating to the number of pupils who have been permanently excluded from school is given in the tables.
	Figures for the number of permanent exclusions during 2004/05 academic year should be available in June 2006.
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools(67)(68): number and percentage of permanently excluded pupils—1997/98 to 2003/04
		
			  1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 
			  Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) 
		
		
			 Tees Valley 164 0.14 111 0.09 109 0.09 
			 841 Darlington 29 0.19 26 0.17 27 0.17 
			 805 Hartlepool 34 0.20 17 0.10 15 0.09 
			 806 Middlesbrough 23 0.09 17 0.07 3 0.01 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 35 0.13 26 0.10 37 0.14 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 43 0.13 25 0.07 27 0.08 
		
	
	
		
			  2000/01(69) 2001/02(69) 2002/03(69) 2003/04(69) 
			  Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) 
		
		
			 Tees Valley 96 0.08 108 0.09 113 0.10 135 0.12 
			 841 Darlington 23 0.15 7 0.04 9 0.06 22 0.14 
			 805 Hartlepool 22 0.13 32 0.19 40 0.24 44 0.27 
			 806 Middlesbrough 7 0.03 13 0.05 9 0.04 18 0.09 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 29 0.11 33 0.13 32 0.13 33 0.13 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 15 0.05 23 0.07 23 0.07 18 0.06 
		
	
	(67) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(68) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(69) Figures are as confirmed by local authorities via the data checking exercise.
	(70) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils, excluding dually registered pupils.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools(71)(72): number and percentage of permanently excludedpupils—1997/98 to 2003/04
		
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Number Percentage(74) 
		
		
			 1997/98 22 0.14 
			 1998/99 10 0.06 
			 1999/2000 13 0.08 
			 2000/01(73) 6 0.04 
			 2001/02(73) 10 0.07 
			 2002/03(73) 6 0.04 
			 2003/04(73) 8 0.06 
		
	
	(71) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(72) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(73) Figures are as confirmed by local authorities via the data checking exercise.
	(74) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils, excluding dually registered pupils.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census

School Teaching Methods

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  whom she has asked to conduct the research into ability grouping referred to in her Department's White Paper, "Higher Standards, Better Schools for All";
	(2)  what the terms of reference were for the research into ability grouping referred to in her Department's White Paper, "Higher Standards, Better Schools for All";
	(3)  whether the research into ability grouping referred to in her Department's White Paper, "Higher Standards, Better Schools for All", will include an evaluation of (a) within-class ability grouping, (b) between-class ability grouping and (c) accelerated and enriched learning programmes for the gifted and talented;
	(4)  if she will ensure that the research into ability grouping referred to in the White Paper, "Higher Standards, Better Schools for All", will include evaluation of research by James A. Kulik of the University of Michigan.

Jacqui Smith: My Department has commissioned a research project on pupil grouping from a consortium of four universities: the University of Brighton, the University of Sussex, the University of Cambridge, and the Institute of Education at the University of London.
	The terms of reference for the research project were to investigate the effects of different forms of organisational (between class) grouping and within class grouping on pupil learning in primary and secondary schools. This includes analysis of grouping practices in relation to gifted and talented pupils, as well as pupils with other characteristics.
	The project consists of an extended literature review, which was published on 27 October 2005, and a fieldwork phase, which is expected to report in early 2006. The literature review references research by James A. Kulik and Chen-Lin C. Kulik.

School Travel

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government is taking to encourage children to walk to and from school; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The Government wants to reduce the number of cars on the school run and make it possible for more pupils to walk, cycle or use public transport in safety. The Departments for Transport and Education and Skills are, through their "Travelling to School" project, providing support to all local authorities in England to help them achieve this.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) specialist science colleges and schools and (b) science academies have been established in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Science specialism was first introduced in 2002. The numbers of specialist Science Colleges becoming operational in each year are: 24 in 2002, 97 in 2003,104 in 2004 and 44 in 2005. The following numbers chose science as part of a combined specialism: five in 2003, 13 in 2004 and 14 in 2005. In 2004, 12 schools chose science as a second specialism at redesignation. Two of the 27 open Academies have a Science specialism; Stockley Academy, Hillingdon opened in 2004 and specialises in Science and Technology, Macmillan Academy opened in 2005 and specialises in science and PE.
	The Government are s committed to improving young people's attainment in science and the number of young people progressing to science study at higher levels.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have gained (a) an A level, (b) an AS level and (c) a GCSE in (i) biology or human biology, (ii) chemistry and (iii) physics in each year since 1997, broken down by grade; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be found in the following tables:
	(a) A level examination results of 16 to 18-year–old 1 students by grade
	
		
			 Thousand 
			  A B C D E Other (88) A-E passes Total (91) 
		
		
			 Biological sciences   
			 1997 70.2 93.5 91.7 85.0 70.1 65.5 410.5 476.0 
			 1998 79.3 95.7 94.6 86.7 70.8 61.8 427.1 489.0 
			 1999 82.1 90.7 93.0 84.4 66.0 55.7 416.2 471.9 
			 2000 81.9 91.6 91.9 81.7 64.4 50.4 411.5 461.9 
			 2001 83.2 89.5 88.7 75.9 61.1 47.5 398.5 445.9 
			 2002 96.6 88.8 89.9 81.8 61.7 35.3 418.7 454.1 
			 2003 94.8 91.5 89.6 76.8 59.3 27.1 412.0 439.0 
			 2004 99.6 94.8 91.9 76.9 55.8 23.4 419.0 442.4 
			 2005 (87) 105.2 99.8 94.5 79.3 57.0 23.1 435.7 458.8 
			 Chemistry 
			 1997 77.8 77.3 66.9 53.9 43.4 45.0 319.3 364.3 
			 1998 87.7 77.8 69.4 54.8 41.0 40.4 330.7 371.0 
			 1999 88.8 77.4 67.6 53.4 37.6 33.6 324.8 358.3 
			 2000 90.3 78.2 65.8 51.9 35.2 31.5 321.4 352.9 
			 2001 89.8 74.3 63.0 47.7 35.2 28.7 310.1 338.7 
			 2002 91.3 75.0 62.0 47.1 31.7 16.1 307.1 323.2 
			 2003 90.6 75.2 58.9 44.2 29.5 12.3 298.3 310.7 
			 2004 97.6 78.5 61.3 44.3 29.1 10.6 310.7 321.3 
			 2005 (87) 99.0 83.0 63.9 46.4 29.2 11.6 321.5 333.1 
			 Physics 
			 1997 62.1 62.1 52.5 45.0 32.8 33.3 254.5 287.8 
			 1998 68.0 61.5 55.4 46.1 33.7 32.1 264.6 296.7 
			 1999 72.1 59.3 55.5 45.5 33.5 29.6 265.9 295.5 
			 2000 71.0 56.1 51.7 42.7 31.9 28.4 253.5 281.9 
			 2001 70.4 56.1 51.7 41.3 32.3 28.6 251.7 280.3 
			 2002 74.9 56.9 51.6 44.9 32.6 17.7 260.9 278.6 
			 2003 72.1 55.1 48.7 41.9 31.1 13.9 248.9 262.8 
			 2004 71.0 51.2 47.1 37.8 27.2 11.8 234.3 246.1 
			 2005 (87) 69.2 51.5 44.8 37.5 27.2 11.7 230.1 241.8 
		
	
	(b) AS level examination results of 16 to 18-year-old 1 students by grade
	
		
			 Thousand 
			  A B C D E Other (88) A-E passes Total (91) 
		
		
			 Biological sciences   
			 2001 9.0 8.5 9.1 8.7 7.1 8.5 42.4 50.9 
			 2002 9.3 8.3 8.9 8.7 7.8 10.1 42.9 53.0 
			 2003 8.5 8.2 9.0 9.3 9.1 11.4 44.1 55.4 
			 2004 8.4 8.7 9.3 9.6 9.0 11.2 45.0 56.2 
			 2005 (87) 8.2 8.8 9.8 9.6 9.2 11.3 45.7 56.9 
			 Chemistry 
			 2001 7.7 6.7 6.3 5.3 3.9 4.8 30.0 34.8 
			 2002 7.4 6.3 6.3 5.8 4.8 5.5 30.6 36.1 
			 2003 7.4 6.5 6.5 6.2 5.2 6.0 31.9 37.9 
			 2004 7.2 6.6 6.7 6.3 5.4 6.5 32.1 38.6 
			 2005 (87) 7.3 7.1 7.0 6.4 5.6 6.7 33.4 40.1 
			 Physics 
			 2001 6.7 5.4 5.4 4.6 3.6 4.5 25.7 30.1 
			 2002 6.6 5.3 5.3 4.7 4.0 5.4 25.9 31.2 
			 2003 6.1 4.9 5.0 4.6 4.3 5.4 25.0 30.4 
			 2004 5.9 4.8 5.0 4.7 4.1 5.4 24.5 29.9 
			 2005 (87) 5.6 4.8 4.9 4.6 4.0 5.2 23.9 29.2 
		
	
	(c) GCSE examination results of 15-year–old 1 pupils by grade
	
		Thousand
		
			  A* A B C D E F G U (89) X (90) Total (91) 
		
		
			 Biological sciences  
			 1997 4.4 9.8 11.3 6.7 2.4 1.1 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.1 36.6 
			 1998 4.7 10.6 10.6 7.6 2.8 1.0 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 37.9 
			 1999 5.7 10.4 11.0 7.5 2.8 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.0 38.8 
			 2000 5.7 10.9 10.8 7.8 2.8 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.0 39.4 
			 2001 6.7 10.8 11.0 7.9 2.8 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 40.5 
			 2002 6.8 11.2 11.2 7.5 2.6 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 40.6 
			 2003 7.2 11.8 11.7 8.3 3.0 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 43.6 
			 2004 8.0 12.7 11.5 8.1 2.9 0.8 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.0 44.8 
			 2005 (87) 8.5 13.5 12.0 8.6 3.1 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.0 47.5 
			 Chemistry
			 1997 5.5 8.2 10.5 7.3 2.2 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 35.1 
			 1998 5.4 10.2 10.1 7.1 2.4 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 36.6 
			 1999 6.3 10.2 9.9 7.3 2.7 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 37.7 
			 2000 6.4 10.3 9.8 7.4 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 37.7 
			 2001 6.6 10.8 9.8 7.6 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 38.8 
			 2002 6.9 10.8 9.7 7.7 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 39.1 
			 2003 7.7 11.1 10.3 8.6 3.1 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 42.0 
			 2004 8.8 11.6 10.4 8.2 3.0 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 43.1 
			 2005 (87) 9.6 11.8 11.0 8.8 3.0 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 45.1 
			 Physics
			 1997 5.3 8.4 10.4 6.6 2.2 1.0 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 34.5 
			 1998 6.3 9.3 9.4 7.2 2.7 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.0 36.2 
			 1999 7.4 9.5 9.2 7.2 2.7 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.0 37.2 
			 2000 6.9 10.1 9.5 7.1 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 37.5 
			 2001 7.1 10.5 9.4 7.6 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 38.4 
			 2002 7.6 10.5 9.1 7.6 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 38.7 
			 2003 7.9 11.1 9.8 8.1 3.1 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 41.1 
			 2004 8.7 11.8 10.1 8.1 2.8 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 42.5 
			 2005 (87) 9.4 12.2 11.0 8.2 2.9 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 44.7 
		
	
	(86) Age at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).
	(87) Figures for 2005 are provisional. All other figures are final.
	(88) Includes ungraded, no award (absent/ declined) and pending.
	(89) Grade U refers to pupils who are ungraded or unclassified.
	(90) Grade X refers to pupils who were absent or results pending.
	(91) As numbers are rounded, figures in each row will not sum exactly to row totals.

Summer Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which organisations have expressed an interest in sponsoring the non-residential summer schools for gifted and talented pupils.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 1 November 2005
	This proposal in the "White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All" is in an early stage of development. We have not yet invited expressions of interest in sponsoring non-residential summer schools for gifted and talented pupils. We shall announce further details in due course.

Truancy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will increase the budget available to combat truancy from secondary schools.

Jacqui Smith: Schools and local authorities have considerable resources available to them: since 1997/98, funding per pupil has increased in real terms by 36 per cent. The Department's strategy to improve school attendance is proving successful: absences from school have fallen for four consecutive years to record low levels. There are 50,000 more pupils in school each day than would be the case if absence rates were still at 2000/01 levels. Tackling truancy, particularly persistent truancy, requires carefully focused work by schools working in partnership with their local authorities and other agencies, as set out in "Every Child Matters" and "Youth Matters".
	In 2005/06, 450 secondary schools are receiving additional funding for measures to improve pupils' behaviour and attendance through the Behaviour Improvement Programme. In addition, we continue to support work in all parts of the country to improve attendance through funding for behaviour and attendance consultants in every local authority and the provision of expert advisers within the national strategies.

Perverting the Course of Justice

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals have been prosecuted in Northern Ireland with attempting to pervert the course of justice in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of persons prosecuted and convicted in each of the calendar years 1999 to 2003, for offences relating to perverting the course of justice. Data for 2004 is not yet available.
	Conviction statistics are offender based. Where a person is being dealt with for more than one offence at the same court sitting, only the most serious offence (that attracting the most severe court penalty) is included in the statistics.
	
		Number of persons prosecuted and convicted for offences relating to perverting the cause of justice: 1999 to 2003
		
			  Prosecuted Convicted 
		
		
			 1999 6 2 
			 2000 19 15 
			 2001 2 1 
			 2002 12 7 
			 2003 4 3 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Offences relating to perverting the course of justice are: perverting the course of justice; attempting to pervert the course of justice; conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; and doing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice.
	Source:
	NIO

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in each constituency in the Province; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Five interim antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) on application have been granted in Northern Ireland to date; one in the Belfast city council area, two in the Larne borough council area, and two in the Coleraine borough council area. Data is not collected by parliamentary constituency.
	Information on ASBOs by conviction is not collected centrally and would only be available at disproportionate cost. It is intended that this information will be captured by the Northern Ireland Court Service through their Integrated Court Operation System (ICOS) which is due to be rolled out from early next year.
	ASBOs are a useful tool for tackling antisocial behaviour and are available to the PSNI, District Councils and Northern Ireland Housing Executive as part of a structured approach to tackling antisocial behaviour which may also include the use of mediation, warnings and acceptable behaviour contracts.

Northern Bank Robbery

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people (a) are working on the investigation into the Northern bank robbery and (b) have been questioned in connection with the Northern bank robbery.

Shaun Woodward: A dedicated team of detectives have been allocated to the investigation into the Northern bank robbery. The investigation is ongoing and PSNI are working closely with their counterparts in An Garda Siochana.
	Progress has been made and PSNI are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
	Additional officers may be brought into the investigation as new leads emerge but the allocation of resources is a matter for the chief constable.
	To date no-one has been interviewed in relation to the robbery.

Northern Bank Robbery

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland have been involved in investigating the Northern Bank robbery in each month since it took place, broken down by rank.

Shaun Woodward: A dedicated team of detectives, headed by a Detective Superintendent, have been allocated to the investigation into the Northern Bank robbery. The investigation is ongoing and PSNI are working closely with their counterparts in An Garda Síochána.
	Additional resources have been brought into the investigation to pursue specific lines of inquiry and can be called upon as new leads emerge but the allocation of resources is matter for the Chief Constable. Progress has been made and PSNI are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Occupational Therapists

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many occupational therapists are working in each of the health boards in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Number of occupational therapists employed within the NI HPSS by health board area as at 31 March 2005
		
			 Board area Headcount Whole time equivalent 
		
		
			 Northern Board Area 159 143.07 
			 Eastern Board Area 307 273.65 
			 Southern Board Area 128 112.63 
			 Western Board Area 83 76.37 
			 Total 677 605.72 
		
	
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System